SIO15-13: Lecture 20: Hurricanes

Image: NASA’s Earth Observatory

hurricaneshurricanes

typhoons

cyclones

SIO15-13: Lecture 20: Hurricanes

Image: NOAA Hurricane Center

SIO15-13: Lecture 20: Hurricanes

Image: NOAA Hurricane Center

SIO15-13: Lecture 20: Hurricanesfrom: Marshak “The Earth: Portrait of a Planet”

SIO15-13: Lecture 20: Hurricaneshttp://en.wikipedia.org

!  sustained winds: 185mph!  gusts: 220mph!  pressure: 902 mbar!  no landfall but hit Socorro Island!  no fatalities but $3.2Mio Damage

Aug 24: tropical wave off Africa undeveloped across Atl. crossed Central America convection increasedSep 10: tropical stormSep 11: hurricane cat 5 within 30hSep 17: dissipation

... sep 13: could landfall in So. Cal??

1997: Cat 5 Hurricane Linda(strongest ever recorded in E.P.)

SIO15-13: Lecture 20: Hurricaneshttp://en.wikipedia.org

cut power to met. station on Socorroclosed resorts in Bajaflooding in mainland Mexico15ft surge in So. Cal.5 people swept off jetty in Newport Beachsevere flooding and mudslides in So. Cal.(destroyed 2 houses, damaged 77)

1997: Hurricane Lindacategory 5

Linda and Mainland

SIO15-13: Lecture 20: Hurricanes

!  no hurricane ever made landfall in So. Cal.!  landfall of a tropical storm in 1939 ($ 2Mio damage)!  some came into SW but made landfall somewhere else

!  meteorological records don’t go back very far!  newspaper accounts -> Oct 2 1858 San Diego Hurricane!  from winds speeds and pressure -> category 1/F2 winds!  ships blown ashore!  house completely destroyed!  1860 population of New San Diego county: 4325

Damage if such a hurricane would strike today: several $100Mio

SIO15-13: Lecture 20: Hurricanesfrom: Marshak “The Earth: Portrait of a Planet”